Author: pAUL

We’ve got a busy year in 2013. Finishing the extended version of ‘Practising Medicine’, filming a bunch more teaching cases for ADI, continuing to film in Oamaru for our Platinum Fund documentary on the healthcare system – suddenly all the disparate threads are starting to come together and it is starting to look really interesting. In addition there are two new projects… a film on Advanced Care Planning for Auckland Hospital, and it looks like we’ve got funding to keep following the students from ‘Donated to Science’ and ‘Practising Medicine’ until they are specialists. Meantime see the Facebook page for another clip from the long version of ‘Practicing Medicine’

After a packed showing of Donated to Science at the Royal College of Surgeons in January this year (see below) it’s been picked up by BBC4. They are showing it on the 13th December at 9pm. There’s a Facebook page here: http://www.facebook.com/events/186172891467198/

The film was nominated for and won best Director at the Documentary Edge festival in Auckland & Wellington earlier this year. It played to sold out audiences at the festival and was even mentioned by the Minister of Broadcasting in his speech (yay, now that’s fame). It has now been nominated for best Tertiary teaching resource at the ATOM awards… coming up in October in Melbourne, see here http://www.atomawards.org/

Donated to Science has just been nominated as one of three finalists in the best popular documentary category of the Qantas Film and Television Awards. The competition is pretty tough though – Costa Botes film ‘Lost in Wonderland’ is great.

To see all the nominations go here: http://www.qantasfilmandtelevisionawards.co.nz/index.asp?pageID=2145883677

Here’s a quote from Professor Bernard Moxham, writing about the film in the Journal of Anatomy

“This is an enthralling piece of filmmaking that says much about the human condition, about the need to avoid a “mechanistic” approach to the teaching and learning of anatomy and medicine and, by highlighting the generosity of those who gave their bodies as gifts to the students, provides an optimistic view of mankind that is supposed to reflect the very essence of good medical practice. It is my fervent hope that this film can be exported to other countries but, at the very least, all deans of medical schools and medical educationalists should view it in order to appreciate how important anatomy is to health care studies and practice, beyond just the factual basis of the discipline.”

The film Donated to Science was premiered at lat year’s IFAA conference in Capetown, and it has been played at several other conferences since. Prof Helen Nicholson will be showing it at the IASCBC Conference in Singapore in May. It is being used as part of the anatomy curriculum in several medical schools. We now have both academic and student versions available on DVD.

The student 2-disk version includes both the 44 and 80 minute versions of the film, comments from several other donors and students who weren’t in the film, the full anatomy department memorial service, Prof Helen Nicholson’s history and introduction to anatomy lecture, deleted scenes and other bits and pieces. It costs NZ$40/ US$30

The academic version includes an extra disk of interviews with the students and donors from the film and the full timelapse of the dissection, plus a license to be able to use the material in teaching and show it to classes. It costs NZ$100/ US$75.

If you are a distributor, or for orders more than 10 copies please contact us for wholesale prices. Both versions are region-free PAL format and will play on any PAL DVD player and on any computer with a DVD drive.

“I thought it was truly impressive, beautifully handled and presented and I was very proud to be associated with the Department. Thanks to all involved!” Elizabeth Matisoo-Smith, Professor of Biological Anthropology

“I viewed the documentary last night on television and was very impressed with the content. I was wondering if it will be made to purchase on dvd as I would like to take it back with me to my home University to share with the anatomy and physiology department. I think it would be great if this could be used as part of the orientation process for medical students doing their cadaver lab work. Please let me know the potential of this happening.” Betsy A. Arrington-Tsao

“Many congratulations on such a sensitive and moving documentary. I shall be disappointed if this doesn’t win prizes and accolades! They need to see this in Britain.” Mark D Stringer MS FRCP FRCS FRCSEd Professor of Anatomy

“I have twice watched your brilliant documentary.I have written to say how I thrilled to the concept, philosophy, and its importance to our profession & university that the world knows what we are about.The sequences, donors, students & tutors were spot on. It was perfect, & I congratulate your team on the production.” Robin Fraser.Emeritus professor of pathology

“I just wanted to tell you how impressed I was with ‘Donated to Science’.The material was so sensitively handled, it was, in fact, very moving – as well as thought provoking.All the contributors should be very proud of the final product.” Margaret Baird PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Microbiology and Immunology

“Congratulations – the programme last night was very well doneand the students were excellent representatives of the Medicine programme. The enthusiasm of the teaching staff came across very well. Do you know if copies will be available please as I would like to send it to a couple of colleagues in the UK? Associate Professor Mike Legge, Departments of Biochemistry and Pathology

“I completed a BSc majoring in Anatomy and Structural Biology in 1999, and really appreciated seeing the ‘other side’ of the people that have donated their bodies to science, in order for people like myself to learn from them.” Thank you for making such an interesting documentary,” Kind regards Amanda Berry (BSc and BN)

“proof that primetime television can take on the big complicated stuff… excellent and moving” NZ Listener

“Last night’s Inside New Zealand documentary, Donated to Science (TV3, 9.30), which looked at dissection at Otago Medical School, was as wracked with emotion and the collywobbles as any cliff-hanger episode of a television medical drama.” Frances Grant, NZ Herald

“The direction, the editing, the style of the documentary were all of such a high standard that minutes into the programme, you knew you were watching something special, something literally cutting edge… extraordinarily profound”Jane Bowron, Dominion Post

‘An extraordinary thing… very very moving… very poignant… beyond just a medical documentary… an absorbing piece… one of the best I’ve seen’ Simon Wilson, National Radio

Lots of Radio coverage over the last week and most is available for download or streaming.

First Alison Ballance did a great item on Radio New Zealand’s ‘Our Changing World’ it’s available for download for a few weeks and then streaming at this address http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ourchangingworld (look for ‘The Use of Bodies at the Otago Medical School’

Then there was an interview on Kim Hill’s Radio New Zealand show. This has also played on radio in the UK. Look for Paul Trotman: donation & dissection http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/saturday

Finally Radio Live’s Graeme Hill did a great item on Sunday morning. I think it streams from their website here http://www.radiolive.co.nz/